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Copyright and Fair Use

MSMC Guidelines for Fair Use and Copyright
Compliance

"Whenever a copyright law is to be made or altered, then the
idiots assemble."
- Mark Twain's Notebook, 1902-1903

"Only one thing is impossible for God: to find any sense in any
copyright law on the planet."
- Mark Twain's Notebook, 1902-1903

As noted by Kenneth D. Crews, Director of the Copyright Advisory
Office at Columbia University, "The relationship between Copyright
law and the pursuit of innovative education, librarianship and
scholarship has become more important and more complex in recent
years" (vii). Indeed, as more copyrighted information becomes
digitized and readily available, and as more faculty rely upon
electronic materials for their teaching and scholarship, it is
important that they be familiar with copyright law and what
constitutes the "fair use" of copyrighted materials. To that end,
Mount Saint Mary College has provided these guidelines to assist
faculty in using copyrighted materials responsibly.

This site was developed by the 2010-11 Faculty Library
Committee. It is maintained by the Library faculty and periodically
reviewed by the Committee. This website is intended to provide
guidelines for understanding and applying fair use. Please contact
the MSMC Vice President for Finance and Administration for specific
questions regarding copyright compliance.